Amusement device or toy



May 12, 1942 A. J. sURMAN AMUSEMENT DEVICE ORLTOY Filed May 2l, 1940 Patented May 12, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT FFI'CE Y AMUSEMENT DEVICE on 'roy Aitliur John Sui'man, Philadelphia, Pa. Appiieationiuay 21, 1940, serial No. 336,408

V Claims.

This device relates to a toy or amusement de Vice for children in the form of a miniature theater with sliding curtains and figures or obe jects which are rotated across the front of the stage. Y

I achieve this result by co-ordinating a number of parts, some of which are set in motion by hand as illustrated in the accompanying drawing. The body of the theatre, comprising its front, sides, floor and the orchestra is in one piece which is scored or cut where it is to be bent into shape and, when it is set up, is similar to a box, open at the top and the rear and with a part of the front open to reveal the stage interior.

The stage figures will represent various characters in Mother Goose rhymes, fairy or other stories which will amuse, entertain or instruct small children, or, figures in circus or other parades, also objects such as trains, automobiles, nre-engines, circus wagons and the like.

Figure 1 is a detailed view in perspective withv one halfof the stage front bent outward and .the other half omitted.

Fig. 2 is a' view in perspective showing the theatre when properly adjusted.

Fig. 3 is a front view of the drop-curtain.

Fig. l is a vertical view of the round spindle with a round knob at 'the top and squared at the bottom.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a small metal disc with its hollow, square lug shown raised aboveY a round hole in the 'center of the bottom section of a cardboard brace into which it lits and which rests on the theatre oor. Y

Fig. 6 is a front View' of a vertical figure with a strip extending below it. e

Fig. 7 is a detailed front view of the sliding curtains with their accessories, and fasteners secured to each theatre side-wall, which walls are shown in crossv section.

Similar numerals refer throughout the several views.

The theatre front is divided intoequal sections, the upper parts of which extend above the body of the theatre, Figs. 1 and 2,'numeral l, and is suitably designed and coloredjto represent the front wall above the stage Fig. 2, numeral l, the walls or columns at either side' of thestag'e, and the top and side curtains Fig. 2, numeral 2.

to similar parts The two front sections' of the stage front are held in place by anarrow, horizontal cross strip Fig. 1, numeral 3, which is secured to the back of Athe stage front by two roundheaded' paper fasare inserted under bisected strips, Fig. 1, numeral l, which are cut in a flat horizontal cardboard disc, Fig. l, numeral 8 and which occur at intervals around and near the outer edge of the disc. On either side of the bisected strips, Fig, 1, numeral 1, and at equal distances therefrom, small semicircles or half-moons are stamped in the disc, Fig. 1, numeral 9, and bent upward, vertically, to form barriers to prevent the figures or objects, Fig. 6, from slipping when the disc Fig. 1, numeral 8, is rotated. The disc Fig. 1, numeral 3, has a square hole in its center,.Fig. 1, numeral Hl, to fit over a square, vertical, hollow metal lug, Figs. 1 and 5, numeral l2 which isY a part of and extends above asmall horizontal metal disc, Fig. 5, numeral I3. The metal disc lits into a round hole, Fig. 5, numeral |14, stamped out of a horizontal cardboard brace, Fig. 5, numeral I5, shown with the metal disc raised slightly above it.

This brace is the lower section of a continuous inside brace and rests on the door of the theatre, Fig. 1, numeral I6, transversely and in its center.

Vertical sections of the brace, Fig. 1', numeral Il extend upward, next to each inside wall of the theatre, Fig. 1, numeral I3, to a point about twothirds of their height where it continues VVtransversely across the inside of the theatre as the horizontal top section of the brace, Fig. 1, numeral I9.

The top section of the brace has both of its.

longitudinal edgesV bent downward, Fig. 1, numeral 2l) with their extreme lower edges resting upon projecting upper edges of the side brace sections, Fig. 1, numeral 2| in order to strengthen and support the top brace, Fig. 1, numeral i9;

One end ofthe lower section of the brace meets the loweredge of oneof the side braces where b oth edgesfare notched and interlocked as indicated in Fig. 1, numeral 22. Each side section Yof therbracefis fastened to'each theatre sidewall lby means vof metal fasteners, Fig. l, numeral 23. The top brace section has around hole in its center, at equal distances from its sides and `from its ends, Fig.. 1, numeral 24; Vto admit a vertical, roundstickv or spindle, Figs. 1 and 4, numeral 25 which has a round knob at its top, Figs. 1 and 4, numeral 26, and is square at the bottom, Fig. 4, numeral 21, to lit into the hollow, Fig.g5, numeral Il inthemetal lug,Figs. 1 and 5, numeral l2. A slot is-made in each theatre side wall at their tops,Fig. 1, numeral 28 in front of the side-braces, f

with suitable scenesdepicted thereon on each side' of the back-drop curtain so that it will be interchangeable. A narrow strip is cut away from each side ofthe back-drop curtain, Fig. 3, nu-

meral 3l, to permit the figures Fig. 6, numeral 5, to pass between the back-drop curtain, Fig. 3, numeral 30 and the side sections of the brace, Fig. 1, numeral l1.

The floor of the theatre, Fig. 1, numeral I6, extends beyond the front stage line. This extension is subdivided by two longitudinal cuts, Fig. l, numeral 32 partly across the extension from each side, leaving an uncut space in the center, Fig. 1, numeral 33. On the downward side of the strip formed by the cuts, Fig. 1, numeral 34, musicians in an orchestra with their leader in the center are depicted and stamped out as shown in Fig. 2, numeral 35.

The ends of the orchestra strip are notched, Fig. 1, numeral 3B, to fit into slots in the'theatre front, Fig. 1, numeral 3l. When the orchestra strip, Fig. l, numeral 34, is bent upward, vertically, across the uncut space, Fig. l, numeral 33, its sides bent backward and the notched ends, Fig.` 1, numeral 36 tted to lock into the slots in each side of the theatre front, Fig. l, numeral 3l, the orchestra will appear in an arc as if seen in an orchestra pit, Fig. l, numeral 85.- Sliding curtains to the theatre are provided by the following means in which two small metal split rings,-Figs. 1 and 7, numeral 38, each of which is attached to metal oblong fasteners, Figs. l and '7, numeral 39, are inserted through slots which occur one in each theatre side wall, Fig. 1, numeral 4U. AV

strong thread or line string, tied in a loop, Fig. '7, numeral 4I, is inserted through each split ring, Figs. 1 and 7, numeral 38, drawn taut and knotted in the center of the rear thread' or string of the loop, Fig. 7, numeral 42. The two free ends of the thread or strings, Fig. '1, numeral 43, pass from the knot through small holes in each of the theatre side walls and the lower parts of each metal fastener, Figs. 1 and 2, numeral 44, where they hang on the outside of the theatre walls, Fig. 2, numeral I8.

Curtains in two separate strips. Fig. 7, numeral 45, are fastened, one over each thread in the loop,

VFig. 7, numeral 4I, and at each opposite side of the stage.

When vthe outside string, Figs. 2 and 7, numeral 43, is pulled in the opposite direction from the side in which the rear curtain is placed, both curtains move toward each other,` simultaneously, to meet at the stage center and will obscure the stage, and by pulling the other` string, on the opposite side of the theatre, the operation is reversed and the stage brought back into view again.

The sliding curtains, Fig. 7, numeral 45 when drawn to the sides, disappear behind the front, stationary curtains, Fig. 2, numeral 2.

By turning the knob, Fig. l, numeral 26, with the thumb and forenger, the gures inserted in the cardboard disc will pass in successive view in front of the stage and will disappear behind the edge of the drop curtain.

I am aware that sliding curtains for stage and for other purposes, and also that metal paper fasteners have been in use prior to my invention and I therefore make no claim broadly to them except as to their application in combination.

I claim: Y A l 1. In a miniature theatre, an enclosure having an open front portion and a floor with an extension forwardly of the front portion, said extension. having its forward edge constructed 'when aecaiofi erected to simulate orchestral gures and having centrally unconnected slits opening through its side edges to permit upward folding of the portion of the extension forwardly of the slits'and the rounding of the ends of the upwardly folded part to said front portion of the theatre, means to anchor the ends in the rounded form, a rotary stage in the enclosure with the edge obscured by the upwardly folded portion, and figures on the stage rising above said upwardly folded portion.

2. In a miniature theatre, an enclosure having a floor, sides and a theatre front with open top and rear, connected braces along the floor and side walls secured to the side Walls, a beam across the upper portions of the side braces, a bearing on the floor brace having a reduced socket, a rotary stage received over the socket on the bearing, and a spindle slidably received through the beam and having its lower end detachably fitted to said socket with a driving t.

3. In a miniature theater, supports at opposite sides of the theater, an endless ilexible strand passing slidably through said supports and held by said supports in two parallel oppositely moving runs, a curtain section depending from each run, said curtain sections adapted to be moved together and apart by the relative opposite movements of the runs, and operating members connected to one of the runs and extending to opposite sides of the theater for pulling the runs in either one or the other selected direction for opening or closing the curtain sections.

4. In a miniature theatre having side walls, a rotary stage, thin flat figures so mounted on the stage as to present the figures flatwise to the audience and edgewise at the sides of the stage during rotation of the stage, and a back drop curtain across the stage spaced at its ends short distances only from the theatre side walls to provide narrow passages for the movement of the edgewise presented figuresr to enable such gures to pass from the front of the stage and the front of the back drop curtain to the rear of the stage and said curtain, said curtain spanning the major width of the stage and theatre and being of greater width than the figures to present a background to the audience for the iigures moving across the front of the stage in fiatwise view of the audience and to obscure from the audience the rear portions of the ilatwise objects traveling'around the rear of the stage to regain the entrance point.

5. In a miniature theatre, side walls, a rotary stage between the side walls, figures mounted at the outer peripheral portion of the rotary Stage, and a back drop curtain extending substantially across an intermediate portion of the stage with narrow openings at the side edges to permit passage of the figures to opposite sides of the curtain in the rotation of the stage, said curtain having a width in excess of the width of the figures whereby the iigures traveling around the rear of the stage are obscured from the audience, said curtain having projections on its upper portion to support the curtain from the side walls free of the rotary stage, said projections and side walls having interlocking means preventing lateral movement between the curtain and side walls and adapted to cause the curtain to main' tain the side wallserect and against outer collapse.

vJOHN SURMAN. 

